European union backs coalition

LONDON - The European Union threw its political weight behind a newly formed Syrian opposition coalition Monday in a boost to efforts to unite the many factions fighting President Bashar Assad's regime.

The Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces was created this month and comprises dissidents drawn from both inside and outside Syria, as well as from various religious and ethnic minorities.

The EU's move is largely symbolic, but such broad European support offers a morale boost to the opposition coalition riven by sectarian feuding.

Against the backdrop of a bitterly fought local election, India is witnessing the unusual spectacle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi locked in a bitter verbal duel with his predecessor and accusing the opposition of holding secret meetings with Pakistani officials to impact the vote.